Monday, November 28, 2011

"Capitalism resembles a treadmill. You have to work extra hard just to keep up; eventually, the machine triumphs, and you are too exhausted to continue." Ben Agger - Speeding Up Fast Capitalism

We couldn't have said it any better.

But we do see some irony in all of these Occupy photos:

1. What are the chances that half the people making these photos have slept outside an Apple store for a new Iphone?2. What are the chances that this picture was taken on a cell phone worth more than $100?3. How much credit will people in these lines be using because they are underpaid or unemployed?

4. How many people waiting in these lines are angry at Obama for losing their job, pension, or stock portfolio but are still supporting their former employer or the executive that made a lousy (or unethical or illegal) "business decision" that in turn dropped the stock price that eventually led to the collapse of their portfolio that led to a drinking binge that led to a DUI, that led to a criminal record, that led to an inability to get hired, that led to the loss of the family, that led to a deeper depression, that led to institutionalization, that led to spending tax money, that eventually made some pharmaceutical company another trillion, that made some politician get elected, that led to policy that favored the pharmaceutical company, that led to a $2 billion dollar executive bonus, that led to an overseas investment and a house in Tahiti, that led to more votes for the politician, that led to more tax breaks for the executive, that led to not having money for education, that led to kids not having skills to do jobs, that led to more crime, that led to more incarceration, that led to more tax dollars to build more prisons, that led to a construction contract for the friend of the governor, that led to kickbacks for the governor, that led to bigger tax breaks for the construction owners, that took the sacrificed tax money that would have been spent on education, that led to more deskilling, that led to more crime, that led to the need for more policeman, that couldn't be hired all because this is America and taxing the wealth of the 1% that have made their wealth from exploiting the labor of the world, that sacrificed jobs and investments of the people but kept his.

And because we feel helpless, disenfranchised, political immobilized, and alienated - we support the bastards that strategically strip us of our human dignity by purchasing the products (frantically) and increasing the gap between rich and poor?

"But it is clear that we possess the technology and capital, if not yet the will, to solve these basic problems of subsistence by exporting not military technologies or piecemeal 'foreign aid' but real productive wealth that could transform poor nations into affluent ones."

Ben Agger 2002 - Postponing the Postmodern, 95

But all of this irony leads to an important question, how can we, as citizens, make economic decisions that undermine the system when we are fully encompassed by the system?

We here at WUW? do not have an answer to that question but we are glad that Americans across the nation are willing to sit in parks to force an answer!

Luckily, our good friend Lupe Fiasco came through at the end of the year to solve all debates about the Top Mixtape of the year. A mixture of up to date political references, jazz influenced beats, radicalism, a slight hint of sarcasm, and punchlines to make you question your reality.

&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://tanyamorgan.bandcamp.com/album/you-what-army"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;You &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp; What Army by Tanya Morgan&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;

The WUW? crew has been bumpin TM since we first read about how they met over the Okayplayer message boards.

Pleasant surprise today on the Twitter. Rarely do we check the the profile of a band that follows us but that may change starting today. Kendra, the newest member of the WUW? team, clicked on the Team Genius twitter profile and watched this video:

After a long discussion about the impact of Reagan's counter civil rights/ women's rights/ hatred of the poor/ stupid war on drugs/ fear inducing, terrorist creating cold war policies (not too mention the fact that this tea party celebrated, fiscal conservative increased the size of the government and raised the "debt ceiling" more than any modern president), we immediately checked Bandcamp, Soundcloud, and Spotify to hear more of their music.

Most mixtapes today combine some unreleased material combined with some mashups and indie rock remixes. Posner goes one step further by providing a tape not of mashups or remixes but some refreshing hip hop/ R&B reinterpretation of classic tracks like Rocket Man, the Scientist, and Wonderwall while maintaining the party anthem drenched, electronic dance tracks that made Mike Posner a household name.

So, we here at WhatUpWally? see no downside to a mixtape that flips Elton John, Coldplay, Adele, and Oasis with lyrics by some of the best of the hip hop underground (Big K.R.I.T., Rusko, Slim thugga, Casey Veggies, machine Gun Kelly, Elzhi, and Cypha Da Prince, to create something both old and new that the kids nowadays can dance to.

Our fall intern came across this hidden gem of a midwestern band while procrastinating on Hype Machine... so we thought we would go ahead and get it posted for any of you night owls looking for new music. Don't know much about the band except for what we have learned on their Twitter and Facebook page. So listen, follow, and friend them if they tickle your fancy.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

We first heard this kid on the A.Dd+ When Pigs Fly Mixtape and finally took the time to look him up. Much like A.Dd+ and the Sore Losers, Cavazos' sound is nothing like the familiar sounds of the dirty south D-town boogie sound. Dustin fuses a more indie singer/songwriter style of lyrics and production that is consistent with the new school of hip hop. Dallas, Texas, has silently become a major hub for the progression of hip hop music.

Enjoy!

&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://dustincavazos.bandcamp.com/album/i-think-in-the-shower-i-dream-on-my-bike"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;I Think In The Shower I Dream On My Bike by Dustin Cavazos&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;

While twitter stalking music blogs this morning my assistant came across this intriguing new music site called Muxtape. The discovery of Muxtape would have been cool enough but then we started listening to Francis and the Lights and discovered one of our new favorite bands. Click on one of the songs to stream the album and enjoy.

This is project is dope as... well.. Head over to the Bandcamp page to read the story. I am not sure if Cincinnati native Ill Poetic mashed this up or if this is a legitimate recording - either way... he is a good man for releasing it!

Monday, November 7, 2011

The WUW? staff has been holding back on any commentary of the Occupy Wall Street movement (mainly because we thought it would be cliche) and (we haven't really payed much attention to the whole thing).

The conversations we have had in the office are more about the way people talk about the whole ordeal.

So, I don't know any of these people below, and I am not even sure how I came across this thread... but I did do a little investagatory Facebook journalism on each of the characters.